International Women’s Day: Interview with Vistra colleagues

Alan Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Vistra

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

“As CEO I am often asked to endorse events but today I park my CEO hat and give my support as a father of two amazing daughters, one aged 6 and the other aged 31.

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to continue to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination of all women who play extraordinary roles in their families, workplace and communities. I see this every day in the dedication and commitment that women bring to the workplace whilst also having this same dedication to their families and children.” 

How could men contribute to promoting gender equality?

“Although International Women’s Day is about celebrating women, it is not a day for men to think that they get off lightly because it has nothing to do with them. It is a day for men to reflect on the gender inequalities that still exist in society and in the workplace and for us to think about our actions and behaviours. What more can we do to be advocates who stand up and support gender equality in all its forms? As a CEO and a father this is what I will be reflecting on because I know my daughters will expect me to have an answer!”

Heba Al Emara, Managing Director, Vistra Middle East

What does IWD and its theme this year, #EachForEqual, mean to you? 

“Every person deserves to live a healthy and productive life. The challenge, of course, is how to do that in a meaningful and high-impact way.”

What barriers have you faced in your career and how did you overcome them?

“We all have our share of disappointments, setbacks, and surprises. It’s important to be transparent about our failures as well as our successes, and to share what we have learned. Making little or no progress is not a reason to give up. On the contrary, the risk of not doing everything is much, much greater.”

Can you tell us about a role model who has inspired you over your career?

“My role models remind me everyday of the “why”, the fluidity to get things done and goals to work towards. They have taught me that when making bold commitments, how to mitigate and adapt, and above all, inspire to be inspired.”

Sherrie Dai, Regional Country Managing Director, North Asia, Vistra

What does IWD and its theme this year, #EachForEqual, mean to you? 

“It means equal opportunity, equal rights, and equal chance to contribute to society.”

What barriers have you faced in your career and how did you overcome them?

“There have been occasions where I was overlooked for key roles and that my opinions were not being taken seriously. It’s important to stay true to my belief in equal opportunity: speak up and focus on doing the right things; let the efforts and results speak for themselves – ultimately it is about a person’s capability, not the gender.”

Can you tell us about a role model who has inspired you over your career?

“Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Justice of US Supreme Court. She is the second woman in the US history to be appointed to the position and has helped shaped the modern era of women’s rights.” 

What advice would you give to women about their careers?

“Believe in yourself, continuously improve, and build your personal brand.”

Vincent Bremmer, Regional Managing Director, Continental Europe, Vistra

What does IWD and its theme this year, #EachForEqual, mean to you? 

“To me, #EachForEqual means respect regardless of gender, race, religion, etc. It’s about diversity and the need to provide equal opportunities.” 

How is it like working together as a team and to ensure equal opportunities at all levels of the business? 

“A great team needs to represent different points of view and comprises team members who complement each other. It is very important to demonstrate in our leadership that we make our decisions based on qualities of an individual rather than subjective criteria.”

Any other comments or thoughts you would like to share? 

“Equality is an important topic and we should continue to drive towards better diversity and inclusion. At Vistra, we already have strong female leadership in different parts of the business. It would be nice to see it expand even more broadly across the entire organisation.”